Movie or mango tree? How your discretionary income can help others
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This is part of The Globe and Mail’s in-depth look at the evolution of philanthropy. Read more from the series
here.

Before you leave work, you delete those guilt-inducing e-mail pleas for donations. As you head home, you’re accosted by a fleece-vest-clad canvasser for an environmental NGO and rebuff his pitch. When you pick up a bottle of wine for dinner, you decline the cashier’s suggestion that you donate $2 to the local hospital.

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Giving Video

Hey, you’re on a budget. How much can you really afford to give? Canadians’ annual donations to charity climbed steadily for years, but in 2007, they settled in at $250 and haven’t budged since. The bulk of your income may go to mortgage, car and food-related expenses, but there’s probably plenty of discretionary spending happening too.

If you want to donate more, doing so is as simple as swapping out a “want” purchase for a “need” for someone else. If you gave up a personal indulgence, what charitable gift could you give?